Friday, June 24, 2016

Movie review: Spy

CIA analyst Susan spends most of her time in front of a computer supporting field agents with dangerous operations. But when meek and mild Susan is thrust into the field to investigate the disappearance of her partner she turns into more of a superspy than anyone ever expected.

Jude Law (Bradley Fine), Melissa McCarthy (Susan), Miranda Hart (Nancy), Rose Byrne (Rayna), Jason Statham (Ford), Morena Baccarin (Karen), Allison Janney (Elaine), Jessica Chaffin (Sharon), Sam Richardson (John).

Spy begins by jumping right into the action and story with Susan and Fine in the middle of a mission that ends poorly, but locks the theme for the rest of the film. As Susan steps up, and out into the field as an active agent, the humor finally ramps up while the plot is realized to be slightly more than a comedy vehicle. The second half of the film is a fun mix of action and comedy, including some hysterical innuendo and slapstick, that concludes with an appropriate Happy Ever After ending.

Acting was surprisingly enjoyable and fun. McCarthy may not be a great actress, but she does nicely with the comedy, particularly when sarcasm was involved, and fit her role perfectly. Law fit his role well but seemed to lack energy at times. Byrne was wonderful in her role and played a villain quite nicely. The quirky, dorky performance Hart put forth was fun and funny. Statham was very silly and delivered a lot of energy, and the remainder of the cast was solid.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds were slightly better than similar films with a solid and appropriate feel. CGI and action scenes fit the film nicely, are well done, and contribute well to the film. Dialogue was dramatic, silly, sarcastic, and just plain fun throughout. Sound and soundtrack were solid.

If you are looking for a light-hearted comedy that holds interest without trying to create artificial depth, check this one out. With a solid, experienced cast and some good laughs, Spy moves along at a nice pace and holds interest well.

With some sexuality, foul language, violence, and gore, this should be fine for older teens and above. Really most of these things are used for comedic impact, rather than for shock value.

Released: 2015
Reviewed: 6.13.16
Star rating: 3 out of 5
Genre: Action Comedies, Comedy, Crime Action, Satire, Action

copyright ©2016 Dave Riedel
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